Cotton cleaner



June4,1946. A, sMlTH 2,401;439

COTTON CLEANER Filed Dec. 28, 1944 F1 E A.L. 5 MITH INVENTOR.

A TUR'NEY Patented June 4, 1946 COTTON CLEANER Algernon L. Smith, Birmingham, Ala., assignorto Continental Gin Company, a corporation of Delaware Application December 28, 1944, Serial No. 570,120

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a cotton cleaner of the type embodying a row of cleaning cylinders in lieu of a screen and has for its object the provision of a cleaner of the character designated which shall embody a minimum of moving parts and which shall be simple of construction and operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cleaner of the character designated which shall be especially effective in removing leaves, sticks and other trash from seed cotton as it comes from the field.

In the previously filed application of Lucien McDaniel and Frank E. Deems, Serial No. 547,- 371, filed July 31, 1944, there is shown, described, and claimed, a cotton cleaner embodying, in place of the usual screen, a row of cleaning cylinders each comprising a multiplicity of cleaning elements spaced apart a sufficient distance to permit trash, leaves, sticks and other particles of foreign matter to pass therebetween, but close enough together to provide a supporting surface for the cotton being cleaned. It is a particular object of this invention to provide a cotton cleaner embodying cleaning cylinders of the character described and claimed in the application aforesaid, in which there is provided a single arcuate row of cleaning cylinders in association with an agitating drum, relatively large in diameter, and disposed in concentric relation to the row of cleaning cylinders, thereby greatly reducing the number of moving parts, and simplifying the operation of the cleaner.

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of a cotton cleaner constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View through one of the cleaning cylinders taken along the lines II-II of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a, fragmentary View, partly in section, showing a modified form of cleaning cylinder.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of my invention, I show a casing l0 having an upper inlet H for cotton to be cleaned, a lateral outlet [2 for cleaned cotton, a hopper bottom I3, and an outlet I6 in the hopper bottom for foreign matter removed from the cotton. A screw conveyor I4 is located in the hopper bottom I3 of the casing to remove foreign matter through the outlet 16. Mounted in the lower part of the casing is an arcuate row of cleaning cylinders [1 similar to those described and claimed in the application of Lucien McDaniel and Frank E. Deems aforesaid. As shown in the drawing, there are five such cylinders, though it will be understood that any suitable number may be employed. The cylinders in the row may also be of any suitable width and it is contemplated that the length of the cylinders shall be comparable to the width of screens usually employed in apparatus of this character. The individual cylinders in the row are spaced apart relatively closely, say about of an inch, so that particles of foreign matter may pass between the cylinders, but the cotton being cleaned is carried along the upper surfaces of the cylinders toward the outlet l2. The cylinders are rotated by any suitable means, not shown, in the direction indicated by the arrows, so that, as viewed in the drawing, cotton is transported over the upper surfaces of the cylinders from left to right. A bafile I8 is disposed across the casing above the first cylinder of the row, considered in the direction of movement of cotton thereover, so that cotton being fed into the casing will not fall behind or between the first cylinder in the row and the casing.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, eachof the cleaning cylinders in the row I! may be comprised of a multiplicity of thin sheet metal disks I 9 mounted on a shaft 2| in relatively closely spaced relation to permit the passage of foreign matter therebetween but close enough to provide a supporting surface for the cotton being cleaned. It has been found that a spacing of approximately of an inch provides a suitable supporting and cleaning surface. Each of'the disks I 9 is serrated as indicated in Fig. 1 in order to aid in agitating the cotton and in transporting it over the cylinders, as well as in separation of foreign material from the cotton.

Mounted in the upper part of the casing ID, in concentric relation to the arcuate row of cleaning cylinders I1, is a relatively large agitating drum 22. As may be seen in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the drum 22 is provided with agitating members. such as spikes 23, on its outer surface which are adapted to engage and agitate the cot ton as it is passed over the upper surfaces of the cleaning cylinders. Fig. 1 of the drawing that the drum is of suffrciently large diameter and is vertically spaced with respect to the row of cleaning cylinders I! so that the agitating elements 23 cooperate with the row of cleaning cylinders and engage the cotton to toss it tangentially away from the upper surfaces of the cylinders and aid in. agitating it and transporting it to the outlet l2. The cotton It will also be seen from 3 is thus tossed back and forth between the drum and the cleaning cylinders and is maintained in an open, fluffy condition in its travel over the row of cleaning cylinders.

The cleaning cylinders may comprise elements other than thin serrated disks. For example, in Fig. 3 I show a fragment of a cleaning cylinders 25, having cleaning elements 26 in the form of spikes arranged in rows and spaced to provide sufficient opening for leaves, trash and dirt to pass between them, but close enough together to provide a supporting surface for the cotton being cleaned. Such cylinders would be spaced apart in a row similarly to those shown in Fig. 1'.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved cotton cleaner will be readily understood. Cotton as it comes from the field, having sticks, leaves, dirt and other trash mixed with it is fed into the casing through the opening H and is carried by the counterclockwise rotation of the drum 22 onto the first of the cleaning cylinders of the arcuate row II. There the cotton is engaged by' the cleaning elements, such as the serrated disks [9 of the cleaning cylinders, which cleaning elements act to separate the leaves, sticks and other foreign matter from the cotton, whereupon they fall between the disks or between the cylinders into the hopper bottom l3 of the casing and are removed by the screw conveyor M. The cleaning elements of the cleaning cylinders are so spaced as to support the cotton being cleaned and in response to the rotation of the drum 22 and of the cleaning cylinders, the cotton is carried over the upper surfaces of the cleaning cylinders to the outlet l2. In its travel over the cleaning cylinders, the cotton is tossed back and forth between the cleaning cylinders I1 and the agitating cylinder 22 and is thus maintained in an open, fluffy condition.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have devised an improved cotton cleaner which is simple of construction and operation and which is adapted to separate green leaves, sticks and other trash from the cotton as it comes from the field.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as'are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a cotton cleaner, a casing, an agitating drum mounted in the upper part of the casing, a plurality of cleaning cylinders disposed in a row beneath the drum to provide a vertical space therebetween in relatively closely spaced relation to each other to provide a supporting surface for the cotton as it is being cleaned and permit the passage of dirt, trash and other foreign matter between the cylinders, each of said cleaning cylinders comprising a multiplicity of relatively thin closely spaced plates supporting the cotton to be cleaned, means to feed cotton to be cleaned into the upper part of the casing, means to rotate the drum and the cleaning cylinders in a direction to toss the cotton back and forth between the drum and the row of cleaning cylinders and to transport the cotton over the row of cleaning cylinders, and an outlet in the casing for cleaned cotton.

2. In a cotton cleaner, a casing having an inlet for cotton to be cleaned in the upper part thereof, a lateral cotton outlet and a lower outlet for foreign matter removed from the cotton, a rotary agitating drum mounted in the casing beneath the inlet, a plurality of rotary cleaning cylinders disposed in a curved row beneath the drum in vertically spaced relation thereto and terminating adjacent the outlet; said cylinders being relatively closely spaced with relation to each other and each comprising a multiplicity of closely spaced thin disks having cleaning elements thereon and permitting the passage of foreign matter therebetween but supporting the cotton to be cleaned, and means to rotate the drum and the cylinders in a direction to toss the cotton back and forth in the space between the agitating drum and the cylinders on its way to the outlet.

3. In a cotton cleaner, a casing having an upper inlet for cotton, a lateral outlet for cleaned cotton and a lower outlet for foreign matter removed from the cotton, a curved row of closely spaced cleaning cylinders mounted in the lower part of the casing and terminating adjacent the outlet, each of said cylinders comprising a multiplicity of thin disks having cleaning elements thereon and spaced. apart to permit the passage of particles of foreign matter therebetween and forming a supporting surface for the cotton being cleaned, a relatively large diameter spiked drum mounted in vertically spaced relation above the row of cleaning cylinders beneath the inlet and in concentric relation to the row of cylinders, and means to rotate the drum and the cleaning cylinders in a direction to toss the cotton being cleaned back and forth in the space between the agitating drum and the cylinders on its way through the apparatus to the outlet.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the cleaning cylinders each comprises a multiplicity of thin serrated metal disks spaced apart to provide a sufficient opening for the passage of foreign matter separated from the cotton.

5. In a cotton cleaner, a casing, an agitating drum mounted in the upper part of the casing, a plurality of cleaning cylinders disposed in a row beneath the drum to provide a vertical space therebetween and disposed in relatively closely spaced relation with respect to each other to provide a supporting surface for the cotton as it is being cleaned and permit the passage of dirt, trash and other foreign matter between the cylinders, each of said cleaning cylinders having agitating and cleaning elements thereon spaced to permit the passage of dirt and trash therebetween but close enough together to support and form a screen for the cotton being cleaned, means to feed cotton to be cleaned into the upper part of the casing, means t rotate the drum and the cleaning cylinders in a direction to toss the cotton back and forth between the drum and the row of cleaning cylinders and to transport the cotton over the row of cleaning cylinders, and an outlet in the casing for cleaned cotton.

ALGERNON L. SMITH. 

